Four-nation drama seeks Tokyo funds

Producer Mayra Faour Auad is in Tokyo to close the financing gap for the feature film 'Yellow Chrysanthemum.' The project, currently in pre-production, is seeking capital to complete its budget and establish a distribution network across Asia. The film is a co-production involving Brazil, Japan, Germany, and France. Auad stated that finding an audience in Japan is a priority due to the film's cultural roots. The team is meeting with potential partners at the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market.

The market operates as part of TIFFCOM, the content market attached to the Tokyo International Film Festival. It runs through late October. Auad, who founded MyMama Entertainment, has over 20 production credits, primarily international co-productions. She is developing the project with One Two Films, Loaded Films, and Blue Monday. The goal is to connect with producers, distributors, and sales agents who can handle the release in various Asian territories.

The film is the first feature from director André Hayato Saito. It follows Erika, a 16-year-old third-generation Japanese-Brazilian teenager living in São Paulo. The story takes place in July 2014, during the World Cup. Erika feels like an outsider and rejects her family's traditions. This rejection traces back to a trauma from when she was seven years old. Her cousin Yam, her closest friend, vanished during a traditional festival in the Liberdade neighborhood. Her mother was supervising the children at the time. The family has maintained a guilty silence about the disappearance ever since.

Saito drew on his own background to shape the narrative. He grew up in a Japanese-Brazilian household where silence often signaled love and respect but also concealed pain. He noted that his previous short films explored grief, memory, and identity. He described the new feature as a continuation of that thematic work. Saito recalled a specific memory from his childhood that influenced the script. He was sitting in the bathroom with his father when he asked where people go after they die. His father paused for a long, profound silence before responding.

The plot moves when Erika befriends Bianca, a Black classmate mourning the recent death of her mother. Bianca expresses her grief openly, unlike Erika's family. As the two girls grow closer, Erika's family can no longer ignore the absence of Yam. The narrative uses the backdrop of the World Cup to contrast public celebration with private sorrow. Saito aims for audiences to reflect on unspoken matters in their own lives. He does not intend to provide easy answers or a conventional sense of closure.

The project has gone through several years of development. It recently completed pre-production preparations. The team won the TorinoFilmLab Production Award after participating in the program. It was also selected for Focus Copro at Cannes. A key sequence involving a traditional Japanese Toro Nagashi ceremony is scheduled for filming in Brazil in November 2026. This practical shoot will occur before principal photography wraps.

Saito has a track record with the subject matter. His short film 'Amarela' follows a similar character arc. That short competed for the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 2024. It was shortlisted for the live-action short Oscar at the 98th Academy Awards. It won best live-action short at Brazil's Grande Otelo Awards. 'Amarela' is part of a trilogy that includes 'Kokoro to Kokoro' and 'Vento Dourado.' Saito made these shorts with MyMama Entertainment.

The director is also developing a second feature titled 'Little Faults.' This project earned a spot in Turin's Boost IT Lab in 2026. The story centers on an aging Japanese-Brazilian woman living in Japan. She begins committing minor offenses with the hope of being imprisoned. She believes prison will provide the care and sense of belonging she lacks in her current life.

Auad emphasized the financial necessity of the Tokyo market for the project. The film requires final funding to move into full production. The co-production structure involves four countries, which complicates the financing process. The team seeks partners who understand the specific cultural context of the story. The market provides a direct channel to Japanese and Asian industry players.

The film's setting in São Paulo during a major international sporting event creates a distinct visual and emotional atmosphere. The Liberdade neighborhood serves as a specific geographic anchor for the family drama. The disappearance of Yam remains the central mystery that drives the plot. The interaction between Erika and Bianca serves as the catalyst for the family to break their silence. The project remains in the final stages of raising its budget.